Plastic composition and method of molding the same



Permeable-2s e 2,194,519.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLASTIC COMPOSITION METHOD OF MOLDING THE SAME WalterH. Wedger, Belmont, Mass, as signor to B. B. Chemical (30., Boston, Mass, a corporation oi Massachusetts.

No Drawing. Application itctober 13, W34,

, Serial No. 348,218

I a 4 Claims. (on. icss) This invention relates to the plastic arts, and Example Hi more particularly to thermoplastic compositions Parts and articles prepared therefrom. I by weight An object of this invention is to provide im- Polymerized vinyl acetate 50 5 proved plastic compositions which upon heating Polymerized chloroprena 50 5- are pressure-responsive and may be readily Softens at temperatures above 40 C. formed into desired shape and which when cooled will retain the shape imparted thereto. Another liactlrzple W M I I I gbjecthilshto provide a thermoplastic colnl'lplosi- I by weight ion w '0 may be formed into articles w 'c in lo the cold will exhibit properties of considerable 5313:3223 figfjggfjg? 23 strength, toughness and hardness.

In accordance with the above and other ob- Softens at p m' were W jects, I have discovered that thermoplastic compositions of highly advantageous character may E$mmifle V I 5 be produced by associating together a polymerby weight, ized 'haloprene, for example, polymerized chlo- Pqlymeflzed 1 rm 75 roprene, and a polymerized vinyl ester of an Polymerized'chloropreng 25 aliphatic acid, for example, polymerized vinyl g 2o acetate, preferably in the proportions of 25 to 75 Softens temperatures above 40 go parts by weight of the formerto '75 to 25 parts of Compositions according to the above examples the latter. Such compositions, when heated to may be prepared on heated mills of the type ora temperature somewhat below that of boiling dinarily used in the rubber industry. Thus, the I I water, for example, 70-90" C., soften to a conrolls of the mill may be heated by means of 25 dition in which they; may be readily molded to steam which, if desired, may be under greater 25 a desired shape. Upon cooling again to room than atmospheric pressure; Preferably the polytemperature, these compositons become tough, merized chloroprene is first milled until it' has hard and resilient and maintain their molded become fairly warm and plastic at which time shape. At room temperature these compositions the. polymerized vinyl acetate, which is preferare relatively hard, and when the proportion of ably in a fairly finely divided form, 'is fed to the 30 polymerized vinyl acetate is upwards of 40%, material being compounded as it passes down they can barely be marked with the finger nail. through therolls. The milling is continued un- Increase in the hardness of the product can be til the ingredients have-been thoroughly mixed obtained by increasing the, proportion of polyto form a homogeneous composition. Under merized vinyl acetate. Articles wherein the polyordinary conditions it is preferable not to con- 5 merized chloroprene'is in cured condition may tinue the milling any longer than necessary in be produced by incorporating suitable curing order to avoid premature air vulcanizing or curnii th r ning of the plastic polymerized chloroprene.

Specific examples of compositions prepared'in Where their presence is desired, other ma- 40 accordance with this invention are as follows: terials may be incorporated into the molding 40 composition during the milling. Thus, paper Example I or textile fibers, mineral fillers, pigments, or other m coloring mattermight be incorporated at this I I l y wei h time;

Polymenzed Vmyl t 25 Furthermore, when it is desired that the poly- '45 Polymerized ohloroprene '1 merized chloroprene be m cured or vulcanized o condition in the finished article, this may be Softens at temperatures above 30 accomplished by milling into the composition Example H U r sulphur and-an accelerator in such proportions Parts as to produce a slow curing at room temperature.

by weight For this purpose, about 3% sulphur and about polymerized vinyl acetate 4o 1% of an accelerator such as phenyl-beta-naphchloroprene m i the In I such case, about 5% wood rosin, 10% magnesium Softens at temperatures above 40 C. I oxide, and 5% zinc oxide may also advantageous- 55 ly be incorporated. The above amounts are based upon the weight of polymerized chloroprene.

Under certain circumstances, it is desired to reinforce the molding composition with fabric. This may be accomplished by hot pressing the fabric against one or more sheets of the molding composition. Preferably the fabric is first impregnated with polymerized chloroprene, polymerized vinyl acetate, or with a mixture of both. The impregnation of the fabric with polymerized chloroprene may be carried out by applying a solution of polymerized chloroprene in benzol or other suitable solvent to the fabric and removing the solvent. The fabric might be impregnated with polymerized vinyl acetate by dissolving the polymer in an aromatic hydrocarbon and applying the solution to the fabric and removing the solvent.

Articles of manufacture may be prepared from compositions of this invention by taking advantage of the thermoplastic properties thereof. This composition may be heated to a temperature at which it isreadily'moldable, for example, by dipping the composition in hot water (for example 70-90 C.) and shapingthe composition as desired while hot and plastic. This shaping may be accomplished manually, or by placing the composition in a suitable mold, or a matrix may be formed by impressing a die of suitable shape therein. The shaped article is then cooled toroom temperature, preferably being maintained in the mold or held in the desired shape until the composition has cooledbelow its softening point.

An advantageous application of the composition herein disclosed is in the manufacture of forms or molds for use in shaping shoe bottoms. Such a mold or matrix is arranged to have its shoe-engaging face shaped to the contour which it is desired to impart to a shoe bottom and the mold is equally applicable whether the final shape is imparted to the sole as a part of a cement soleattaching operation or whether the final shape is imparted to the sole as aseparate operation after the sole has been previously secured to the shoe by means other than cement. Such a mold may be prepared by heating a sheet of the composition of this invention in any suitable manner to a temperature well above its softening point, such as by dipping the composition in hot water at a temperature of .70-90 C. The softened composition may then be placed between a shoe bottom and a fluid-filled or other suitable pad and pressure applied in order to impress the shoe bottom into the composition and impart thereto the shape of the shoe bottom. After the composition has been permitted to cool, the mold thus formed, which is hard, tough, and resilient at room temperature, may be employed in imparting to other shoe bottoms the shape of the matrix. The sheet of composition used for forming such molds may of course be reinforced with fabric material in the manner describedhereinproportion than polymerized vinyl acetate are preferable in order to provide material which is not too hard at room temperature and which is tough and strong. Thus, for example, compositions comprising 75 parts by weight of poly- A merized chloroprene to 25 parts by weight of polymerized vinyl acetate are suitable for this purpose. For the preparation of box toes and counters the composition may be rolled out into sheets of suitable thickness, with or without fabric reinforcement, and blanksdied or'otherwise cut out in any suitable manner. The blanks may then be heated to above the softening point of the composition, for example to 70-90" C., shaped while hot and then permitted to cool to room temperature, at which temperature the articles will retain the shape imparted to them.

It will thus be seen that by my invention I have provided a plastic material which may be readily prepared and which combines the advantageous features of being readily shaped and fabricated at conveniently attainable manufacturing temperature and yet which at room temperature exhibits highly advantageous mechanical properties of permanence, hardness and toughness.

. A mode of preparation of polymerized vinyl acetate and other vinyl ester polymers suitable for use in connection with this invention is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,775,882, granted September 16, 1930, upon an application of C. 0. Young and S. D. Douglas. Polymerized vinyl acetate suitable for the purposes of this invention is a normally solid material marketed under the commercial name Vinylite A.

A form of polymerized haloprene suitable for the purposes of this invention is the synthetic rubber-like material known commercially as Du Prene, and which may be made by polymerizing chloroprene in the manner set forth in United States Letters Patent No. 1,950,436, granted March 13, .1934, upon an application of Ira Williams. made in the manner described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,950,431, granted March 13, 1934, upon an application of W. H. Carothers and A. M. Collins. So far as applicable to the purposes of this invention, other haloprenes are to be considered as equivalents of chloroprene, for example, bromoprene, described in said Patent No'. 1,950,431. The polymerization of bromoprene is described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,950,433, granted March 13, 1934, upon an application of W. H. Carothers and A. M. Collins.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A thermoplastic molding composition, which at moderately high temperatures below the boiling point of water, is soft, pressure-responsive, and moldable to a predetermined shape and which, when cooled to room temperature, retains said predetermined shape and is strong, tough, and hard, said composition comprising a solid milled mixture of polymerized chloroprene and polymerized vinyl acetate in the proportions of 25 to 75 parts by weight of the former to about 75 to 25 parts by weight of the latter.

2. A thermoplastic molding composition com- The chloroprene itself may be r prising about equal parts by weight of plastic 75 polymerized chloroprene and normally solid polymeriaed vinyl acetate milled together to form a homogeneous composition, said composition being characterized by its softness, pressure-responsiveness, and moldability to a predetermined shape at moderately high temperatures below the boiling point of water and by its strength, toughness, hardness and ability to retain a predetenmined shape at room temperature,

3. An article of manufacture comprising about 25 to 75 parts by weight oi polymerized chloroprene and about 75 to 25 parts by weight of nor-,

mally solid polymerized vinyl acetate milled together to form a homogeneous composition and shaped to predetermined form, said article of manuiacture being characterized by its strength. toughness, hardness and ability to retain a predetermined shape at room temperature.

4. The method of preparing a thermoplastic article of predetermined shape which comprises milling together plastic polymerized chloroprene and polymerized vinyl ester resin in the proportions of about 25 to 75 parts of chloroprene poly- 'mer to about '75 to 25 parts of vinyl resin, continuing. said milling until said ingredients are thoroughly mixed. to form a homogeneous composition, heating said composition to a temperature in the neighborhood of '70 to 90 6., pressing said heated composition against a matrix of the desired contour to impart the requisite shape to.

said composition, and cooling said composition and maintaining it in association with said matrix until said composition has cooled to a temperature below its softening point.

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